Palm just showed us the Unreal Engine 3 running on webOS, which apparently took a couple weeks to port over to the platform using that fancy new PDK. It runs at a pretty smooth clip, with just a tiny bit of artifacting in our enemy's death animation. As an added bit of wow factor, Palm has it currently setup to demonstrate the game at 1 fps when in card view. Like most touchscreen shooters, this doesn't really solve the problem of simulating dual analog sticks, but it's still a fun and good looking engine for a mobile device. We're still unaware of any games that have been built for the mobile engine, which has now been shown for iPhone, Tegra 2, and will be headed to the iPad as well, but we have to assume we'll be seeing some before too long. Check out the webOS video after the break.
Quick note: There were 15 seconds of painful loading, after which the app crashed, and then it loaded again for another 15 seconds, and we cut all that out. It's a blank black screen, you aren't missing much.
@unknownsolo It's really not that amazing that it runs at an OK pace, since most of the features that make modern 3D engines so demanding are just not supported by the hardware, so it's simply missing. It runs well but you can tell that it looks a lot like a 3D game from 10 years ago because all the fancy stuff that makes modern games look fantastic just isn't there.
Not to turn this into an iphone vs webos debate (which will occur in 4..3..2), but this is the same exact engine ported to the iphone. so, either this is not amazing and the iphone is ALSO not amazing, OR, its pretty freakin cool to have this capability on both phones.
The fact that webOS is able to catch up faster to existing standards set by the iphone shows the platform has promise. I just wish people would give it a chance.
@jarobusa Dude, you do realize this "phone" has at least one order of magnitude better specs than the PC we ran the first two installments of Quake on, right? I'm just sayin' ... these little devices are supposed to be quite powerful. If an Atari Lynx could do it in the early 90s, you would think today's super-duper-phones could too.
@a dumb cat You're quite correct, but I'd like to point out that once it's stable, you'll be able to multi-task with it on WebOS, just like all the other 3D games out for it (many of which are iPhone ports tbh). You won't have that luxury on the iPhone ;)
@a dumb cat "The fact that webOS is able to catch up faster to existing standards set by the iphone shows the platform has promise. I just wish people would give it a chance."
I know. It's like if I spend a year writing out a scientific paper and someone looks over my shoulder to see how it's done and can replicate it in 2 weeks then they deserve more credit than me for sure because they've got the same result much quicker.
The Web OS incarnation is buggy and jittery but hey it's not the iPhone that's choppy and glitchy so I guess we can ignore the flaws.
@kyphem It's too bad the google phones people actually bought have no 3D games at all. Hopefully Palm will pick up better hardware. I also hope the Sprint/Verizion/ATT sales reps stop trashing Palm over android devices.
@jamesrdorn Well the AT&T reps have only had 4 days to trash Palm vs Android as they just started selling Android on Sunday. They haven't had a Palm device in forever and the last one (Centro) didn't sell well and didn't perform well. I'm really looking forward to WebOs with AT&T for sure.
@jamesrdorn it's also too bad that you're ignorant... android (google) devices do have 3D games.. an example is raging thunder 2, and many others. More to come soon with the recent support (Open GL ES).
back on topic, WebOS has so much potential, love it's fast progress... I wish Android OS and WebOS had a baby..
@grindking yeah. like the only one. i always have the feeling my milestone is fare below its actual capabilities. raging thunder 2 is not on par with iphone games, considering that these two have the same hardware.
@hb0x Trying to watch it from Viddler: "The video you attempted to watch is a shared video, meaning that its author has chosen specific friends to have privileges to watch it. If this video has been shared to you, you must log in to be able to watch it. "
@jmcburna I'm a fan, but the Pre was last year even last year. Seriously, Palm, give us a the Palm Giga -- 1 GB of RAM, 1 GHz processor, and a 1600 mAh battery to power the sucker. Oh, and a pneumatic lift to get it onto our belt holster.
Nice... looks a little rough right now (notice the black squares/cubes when a character is killed... kinda looks like a texture is missing). I just hope people stop giving palm such a hard time...
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posted Mar 11th 2010 6:20PM
Niceeee....
@unknownsolo
Bioshock can be ported then
@unknownsolo It's really not that amazing that it runs at an OK pace, since most of the features that make modern 3D engines so demanding are just not supported by the hardware, so it's simply missing. It runs well but you can tell that it looks a lot like a 3D game from 10 years ago because all the fancy stuff that makes modern games look fantastic just isn't there.
@tekdemon
Not to turn this into an iphone vs webos debate (which will occur in 4..3..2), but this is the same exact engine ported to the iphone. so, either this is not amazing and the iphone is ALSO not amazing, OR, its pretty freakin cool to have this capability on both phones.
The fact that webOS is able to catch up faster to existing standards set by the iphone shows the platform has promise. I just wish people would give it a chance.
@a dumb cat Your logic and clear reasoning is alien to me...I have not experienced anything like it before here on Engadget Forums.
@tekdemon Dude, you know this is a phone, right?
@unknownsolo
WHO CARES ABOUT Palm OS Really?
MOVE OVER!
@jarobusa Dude, you do realize this "phone" has at least one order of magnitude better specs than the PC we ran the first two installments of Quake on, right? I'm just sayin' ... these little devices are supposed to be quite powerful. If an Atari Lynx could do it in the early 90s, you would think today's super-duper-phones could too.
@a dumb cat
You're quite correct, but I'd like to point out that once it's stable, you'll be able to multi-task with it on WebOS, just like all the other 3D games out for it (many of which are iPhone ports tbh). You won't have that luxury on the iPhone ;)
@a dumb cat "The fact that webOS is able to catch up faster to existing standards set by the iphone shows the platform has promise. I just wish people would give it a chance."
I know. It's like if I spend a year writing out a scientific paper and someone looks over my shoulder to see how it's done and can replicate it in 2 weeks then they deserve more credit than me for sure because they've got the same result much quicker.
The Web OS incarnation is buggy and jittery but hey it's not the iPhone that's choppy and glitchy so I guess we can ignore the flaws.
@TinWard You are being ridiculous. Apple didn't invent OpenGL and Palm isn't cheating. Your analogy doesn't make any sense.
iPhone customers on the other hand would be very lucky if Apple decided to mimic Palm's multitasking implementation, among other WebOS features.
Competition is a good thing. WebOS definitely competes.
Looks pretty competitive. For a beta, not bad at all.
Awesome, too bad nobody bought a Pre...
@kyphem the intelligent people that could see the future of WebOS did.
@kyphem
hello troll.
i would buy one just to annoy you.
but i genuinely want one :(
still waiting for palm in portugal...
@kyphem It's too bad the google phones people actually bought have no 3D games at all. Hopefully Palm will pick up better hardware. I also hope the Sprint/Verizion/ATT sales reps stop trashing Palm over android devices.
@doutorpiranha
Ugh, the Apple fanatics are on some sort of troll warpath today.
I guess if they make a big enough scene of themselves, they think we will all want to be like them too?
@kyphem
I don't think you realize that the two types of users of the Palm Pre are either nerds/hackers or average people.
Unfortunately you're on the site that is populated by a lot of the former... Maybe you should be a little more polite?
@jamesrdorn
Well the AT&T reps have only had 4 days to trash Palm vs Android as they just started selling Android on Sunday. They haven't had a Palm device in forever and the last one (Centro) didn't sell well and didn't perform well. I'm really looking forward to WebOs with AT&T for sure.
@jamesrdorn
it's also too bad that you're ignorant... android (google) devices do have 3D games.. an example is raging thunder 2, and many others. More to come soon with the recent support (Open GL ES).
back on topic, WebOS has so much potential, love it's fast progress... I wish Android OS and WebOS had a baby..
@jamesrdorn
Actually there are quite a few 3d games that are for Android. Raging Thunder 2 is one example.
@grindking
yeah. like the only one.
i always have the feeling my milestone is fare below its actual capabilities. raging thunder 2 is not on par with iphone games, considering that these two have the same hardware.
Looks to good for that phone
Video not available!
@hb0x
Trying to watch it from Viddler: "The video you attempted to watch is a shared video, meaning that its author has chosen specific friends to have privileges to watch it. If this video has been shared to you, you must log in to be able to watch it. "
@mac404 and it's back.
Alright. Now all we need is a better Palm device to play it on. Pre is unfortunately so last year.
@jmcburna I'm a fan, but the Pre was last year even last year. Seriously, Palm, give us a the Palm Giga -- 1 GB of RAM, 1 GHz processor, and a 1600 mAh battery to power the sucker. Oh, and a pneumatic lift to get it onto our belt holster.
@CRA1G Oh yeah, having the top of the line hardware available at the time (the Cortex A8), that was definitely "last year even last year".
If you get gamers on board, its one step closer to a successful recovery, now just give a better piece of hardware for such games and your set.
Where's the PSP phone when we need it?
@Kyle Krcmaric
PSPhone?
Heck yes, Playstation controls in addition to multitouch on a phone would probably make me vomit. (In a good way).
I am impressed!
Nice... looks a little rough right now (notice the black squares/cubes when a character is killed... kinda looks like a texture is missing). I just hope people stop giving palm such a hard time...
webOS is not disappearing anytime soon me thinks
Video or it didn't ha.... Aww.
Sprayer.
Only joking :)
Add some decent controls to these mobile devices - gaming on phones generall sucks - especially fp shooters
Ported to Android in 3...2... wait 5...4...3...2... uh, try again 5...4...3...
I'd love to see a WebOS phone with a 5-way navigator like on the old Treo/Centro line. It'd make both navigation and gaming easier.
@Zorque
yeah I soo miss my 700p sometimes
GSM, and better hardware Palm!
If only the palm screen wasnt the size of a postage stamp
@Hydra Good news!
how bout a landscape keyboard with dual analog sticks? Ones like the psp go, but smaller to save room...
@Nimer55 Sort of like http://www.open-pandora.org/ ? (Yes, I realize that's not a phone), but still.
Why only Wii cant run Unreal Engine 3?
Boring. Who cares?